What the hell is going on in Waterford? I mean, I can understand being upset at losing your job but staging a sit-in? What are they demanding? To be let back to work? I just don’t understand the mentality.

The company is losing money hand over fist so I can only assume that these workers are happy to work for free — because there sure as hell isn’t going to be any money to pay them. And, lets face it, it’s not like no one could see this coming. The primary markets of Waterford Crystal’s tacky vases, bowls and decanters are American tourists and golf tournaments. Frankly, anyone who believes that there’s a viable business in manufacturing these sorts of goods in Ireland is of below average intelligence.

There was some headline in the Independent today about people who joined the company straight out of school and now have no where to go. Well, I’m sorry but did you ever consider that the company may close the factory? Did you ever seek to advance yourself through education, changing companies/jobs or location? Or were you happy to stay where you were and have the unions fight on your behalf?

I’m am completely astounded with the apparent attitude that it is the workers and unions that decide how the business conducts itself. This is not the way it works. If you don’t like having your entire life depending on the decisions of some high-up accountant then you need to work for yourself — and yes, that means putting in the efforts to get yourself up to that level. We have no rights to a job, no rights to have companies continue trading indefinitely and no rights to keep those companies within Ireland.

Personally, I’m expecting to be laid-off this year and I’m working hard to prepare for such a catacysmic scenario… I just don’t understand why no one else seems to think like that.

Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system.